The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-28
END OF THE READING STRIKE
The Men Decide to Return to Work,
Pending Arbitration of the Trouble.
that There Will Be No Arbitration. and
that They Are Victorious at All Points.

rnittee of the Reading railroad employees.
sembly, early this morning, after a secret ses-
sion which lasted several hours, decided to lift
the great strike on the Reading system pending
arbitration with the company. The five crews
over whom the trouble originated are to be sup
ported in the meantime by financial aid from
the employees This decision reached after
q conference with Superintendent Sweeard,
81 his Office. last night The committee then re-
turned to their meeting place in Port Richmond,
and after several hours discussion decided to
submit their TO arbitration. In the afternoon
- meeting had been called to propose arbitration
to the officials. Mr.. Sweigard met the COM
mi.tee graciously and assured them that such a
plan would be entirely agreeable to the Reading
railroad. There were present fourteen MEM
bers of the committee. representing all sections
Of the road. The decision of the Knights in
Reading. yesterday not to strike, il supposed to
have had some influence upon the action Of the
board. One Of the committee said this morn
ing:
1--WE decided that it would be far better to pay
the five striking crews their wages rather than
jeopardize many interests at this city. Mr..
Svefeard has always treated US squarely, and
We feel that trust him. ALI side
will be sunk. and only the main point in dispute
will be arbitrared upon. We have not yet agreed
upon the time method OF arbitration. That
will be settled at the convenience of both sides,
but as speedily as possible We have sent tele-
grams TO all assemblies to resume work at
once. We feel that the public will declare our
decision wise one. especially since the city
might De so seriously affected at the present
time. We do not anticipate any difficulty in
settling the matter"
General Superintendent Swegard said that
the statement that he had agreed with the
knights Of Labor TO submit questions in dispute
60 arbitration incorrect He said that last
evening committee representing employees Of
the company called at his Office. and he talked
with them briefly regarding the threatened
strike. He held out no inducements to the men,
however, and would listen to no proposition
which had for it's object the reinstatement Of
men who had been discharged for refusing to
deliver to Taylor's elevator. ''These men,"
he said. shave been discharged, and will never
again be employed by the company" He said
no agreement was proposed, either by the COM
rnittee or by him, when he informed them that
no would hold no conversation regarding the
discharged men.
The reporter at this point asked Mr.. Swsieard
whether he proposed to take up the Port Rich
mond difficulty, and submit any questions in
volved therein to arbitration, to which he terse
iy replied: There is nothing to submit There
is one thing in connection with this subject that
may well be disposed of while talking.
The employees, some of them, have accused
the company of not living up to Article Is Of
the agreement entered into with the men asst
winter. which was to the effect that man
should be discharged without first being given a
hearing Well, about two months ago, three
Srakemen refused to go ont on a train because
one of the men, conductor. was not knight
OF Labor l DISCHARGED the three men, and
when COMMITTEES called on me
and begged for their reinstatement,
told them that the company did
not propose to re-employ men who left their
work under such circumstances. The commit
tee. consisting OF John Lee, Cahill and Sharkey,
followed me all over Port Richmond and pleaded |
their Finally, agreed to reinstate the |
men after a suspension of three months, upon
this conditions: that the committee should go be-
members that hereafter any employe who re-
fused to perform duty when ordered by
official, such employe should be discharged, and
they 1.-THE X. of l.. should not appoint any com
nnittee to seek au adjustments of the matter or
require any explanation. Now, when in
structed the men at Port Richmond to deliver
they refused, / discharged them in conformity
with this agreement. And this fully answers
the complaint In regard to Article 13. Every
man who has been discharged will remain dis
charged. never again to be employed by. this
company
General Manager Mcleod this afternoon made
the following public announcements:
The report that the Reading company had |
agreed to arbitrate with the striking employees |
is absolutely false. There is nothing to discuss,
much less arbitrate. The men discharged were |
not and will not be taken back. The new |
employed whom old ones were out will not be |
discharged to make room for old ones, and all |
the latter have been notified that if they desire
to retain their places they must return to work !
and Internationally. and all have
under that order so far as places
LEFT for them. Besides, the leaders at Port
Richmond who brought on the strike, have
been discharged, and will not be allowed again
IN the companys service"
ALI the trains moving the Reading rail-
road this morning, and no further trouble is
ticipated. Nearly all the employees reported for
duty m O'Clock AT he
ments and freight yards, well those
ployei at the coal wharves at Port Richmond.
ferring the coal from ths cars to the vessels at
the wharf was at once begun, and there was
very little evidence OF the great strike hich
for the past few days has threatened to parayze
the business of the entire Reading railroad sys-
tenn. Quite a number of employees in the vari-
Gus shops failed to report, but the officials state
that these have perhaps been celebrating Christ
mas too enthusiastically, and that their places |
will be kept open for them few days
A special from Reading says: Tho strike |
has developed the existence Of unpleasant senti-
meut between the Knights of Labor and the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The lat
ter IL is reliably stated, offered furnish all the
men that might be needed TO take out trains.
There are us engineers in this city and vicinity,
all brotherhood men, who were discharged by
the former president of the Reading railroad,
Franklin b. Gowen. Their places taken
BY non-unlon men. who belong to the
Knights OF Labor The latter were then known
as 'scabs," and for a long time there was a bit
ter feeling in the community against them.
pecislly as the riots during the strike of 1877 in
this city resulted in an attack by the Fourth
n. g. p. IN which about dozen
men were killed and about seventy five or eighty
The families which suffered and their
have never forgiven the meu who
took the places of the brotherhood engineers.
All the engineers employed the Reading rail-
road prior to the trouble of III are being heard
rom. They desired to return to their first love-
and were anxious for revenge
The following circular issued from the
general Office of the Reading Company this
afternoon:
4 A. Nc Leod, So, General Manager.
Dear Sir-The strike ordered from Port Richmond
developed the fact that many of old and faith
ul employees have been compelled by others to
DIN the organization known the Knights of Labor
" bile the Reading Railroad Company has OBJ
ected to its employees voluntarily connecting them
selves with any labor organization they may fit to
DIN, it will protect them at ell hazards and any
,ost from being forced into any organization where
heir wish would be to rema;n tree and any am |